The 2023 season has been nothing short of a nightmare for the St. Louis Cardinals and their loyal fans.
Picked by most to coast to another NL Central title, the Cardinals find themselves in last place.
To make matters worse, Adam Wainwright is struggling mightily in his final season and now has an ERA of 8.78 after allowing eight runs in just an inning of work on Friday.
Now, the veteran right-hander’s place in the starting rotation has become less clear.
A bad September last year cost him a spot in the postseason rotation, and the struggles have only persisted since then.
After a 12-8 loss to the Kansas City Royals, manager Oli Marmol discussed the plan for Wainwright going forward.
"I'll sit down with Waino and we'll talk through a few things before I completely answer your question," Marmol said tonight when asked about the next steps forward for Wainwright. "Is it ideal? It's not. Was it coming out great? No, it didn't look like it today."
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) August 12, 2023
Marmol was asked about what the next steps would be with the veteran right-hander.
He responded by saying he didn’t have an answer just yet, but that he would sit down with the two-time World Series champion and discuss where to go next.
While it’s unclear what those next steps are, it seems increasingly likely that Wainwright will be moved to the bullpen.
The Cardinals do have Zack Thompson in the bullpen right now, who has served as a long relief option.
He gave the team four innings of one-run ball following Wainwright’s exit.
The Cardinals could potentially look to put Thompson in the rotation for the remainder of the season.
Ultimately, it’s a sad situation for Wainwright, who has been with the team since 2005 and has accomplished a lot in a Cardinals uniform.
But the Cardinals may have to re-evaluate things going forward.
NEXT: Analyst Says Adam Wainwright May Have Hit 'Rock Bottom'
